Collapsible tube or receptacle



June 23, 1942. c. LINDSTROM COLLAPSIBLE TUB :3 OR RECEPTACLE Filed July 1, 1940 .27 1 5 1'2 U 1 Car]. Linacsi'yom.

Patented June 23, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE R. RECEPTACLE Carl Lindstrom, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 1, 1940, Serial No. 343,319

7 Claims. (Cl. 221-60) This invention relates to containers and more particularly to reinforced containers of the collapsible tube type.

These containers are usually made of tin, aluminum, lead or non-reinforced cellulosic .materials with the stiff discharge or top end welded or clamped to the sidewalls. The sidewall or body of the container is generally formed of thin sheets of material to permit the tube to be compressed and rolled up to discharge its contents. These containers often split or crack due to lack of reinforcement and because the pressure required to discharge the contents through the restricted top end is greater than the strength of the sidewalls. When this occurs, the contents are squeezed out through the body thereby soiling the hands. Often, these tubes are discarded before all of the contents are used, making such a practice expensive,

The present invention seeks to eliminate these objectionable features by providing a tubular container of inexpensive materials which have other advantages not disclosed by the prior art.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a tube container that is inexpensive, has great strength and is pleasing in appearance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible reinforced container tube construction which is inert to the contained products.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible reinforced container tube construction in which the sidewall reinforcement extends from one end of the tube to its other end.

Another and still further object of the present invention is to provide a container tube construction of metal reinforced thin plastic materials.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a container tube construction of translucent or transparent plastic materials having metal reinforcements of pleasing designs with visible advertising or other indicia marked thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container tube construction formed of plastic material providing inner and outer tubes with metal reinforcing therebetween.

The novel features believed to be characteristic of the present invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and manner of construction, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be untaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a. container tube constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention; 7

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken plan view of the metal reinforcing strip illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, with a portion in elevation,

- cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by the line VI-VI of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the ends of a modified strip similar to the strip illustrated in Figure-2 illustrating the cooperating staggered tab portions of the ends of the legs when placed in adjoining relationship;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of the lower end of the tube construction illustrated in Figure 1 when the modified form of reinforcing strip illustrated in Figure 7 is in crimped or interlocked position; and

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 6 taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line IX--IX of Figure 8.

As shown in Figure 1, the container tube construction l0 includes in general an outer tube ,Il, an inner tube I2 and a metal reinforcing framework l3 sandwiched between said tubes. Preferably, the inner and outer tubes are formed of some suitable plastic material, as, for instance, of the cellulosic type such as regenerated cellulose, cellulose acetate or the like, of the vinyl type, or of the rubber derivative type, or of a treated paper, fabric or metal foil, or a combination of any of these.

The inner tube I2 is shaped to provide a cylindrical tubular body M which terminates at its v upper end in a tapered shoulder portion l5 and derstood by reference to the following description a restricted neck l6 (Figure 3). In this form of device, the restricted neck l6 may be formed with smooth inner and outer surfaces.

The metal framework l3, as shown in Figure 2, is formed of flat strip metal having sufficient stiffness for maintaining a container tube conagainst the tapered shoulder I5 and the extending legs I 9 and 20 are angularly bent and curved transversely to seat against the lower portion of the shoulder I5 and the sidewalls of the body I4.

The outer tube II is formed similar in shape to the inner tube I 2 to provide a cylindrical tubular body 2I, a tapered shoulder portion 22 and a restricted neck 23. The outer tube I I is then seated over the combined inner tube I2 and metal reinforcing framework I3.

The neck portion of the tube construction formed by the restricted necks I6 and 23 is subjected to a die pressure to form the exterior threads 24.

As seen in Figure 3, the formation of the threads 24 by pressure deforms the doublewalled neck I6 so that the engaging surfaces therebetween are in conforming relation. It is to be noted that the disk-like portion I1 is sufiiciently large to embrace the shoulder I5 and to terminate immediately adjacent the lower portion of the neck. If desired, the thin plastic material forming the inner and outer tubes may be bonded together as by means of a cement or other adhesive, or, if of the thermoplastic type, merely by the application of heat. As shown, the inner and outer tubes are in surface engagement with each other and with the metal reinforcing interposed therebetween.

The lower portion of the tubular construction I is then squeezed together to form the V- shaped portion 25 which terminates in the fiattened portion 26.

As shown in Figure 6, a U-shaped clip 21 or other closing means is used to complete the closure of the lower end of the tube construction I0.

Another form of end closure for the tube construction is shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9. In this modified form, one leg of the metal strip 20a. is provided with a clip member 28 having lateral extensions 29 and 30 shaped'to provide downwardly extending tabs 3I. At the end of the other leg I9a there is provided a similar clip member having downwardly extending tabs 32 arranged in staggered relation with respect to the tabs 3|.

As shown in Figure 9, the staggered tabs 3I and 32 are bent by each other in interlocking relationship to completely close the bottom end of the tube construction I0. Alternatively, the outer tube or wall may be formed by a dipping, casting or molding-operation, so as to cover and embed a part or all of the reinforcing framework.

If it is desired to further strengthen the tapered shoulder portion at the upper end of the tube construction together with its threaded neck, then a further modified form of construction, as shown in Figure 4, is provided. In this modification the metal reinforcing framework strip I3a is provided with a disk-like center portion IIo of sufiicient diameter to fully embrace the shoulder portion I of the inner tube I 2.

The material removed from the strip shown in Figure 2 to form the aperture I8 is instead forced outwardly to form a flange or neck portion 33. When the neck portions I6 and 23 are subjected to pressure to form the threads 24 the metal neck 33 will also be threadedly deformed. A1- ternatively, the inner neck portion may be left smooth and only the metal neck portion 33 externally threaded. In that case, the outer neck portion 24 could be omitted entirely, with the outer tube terminating at the base of the metal neck portion 33, or even at the junction of the disk portion lie with the legs I9 and 20. It is to be understood, also, that the separate threads on the neck portions I6 and 23 of the inner and outer tubes and the neck 33 of the metal framework may be pre-formed so that the various parts may be assembled by threading one within the other as shown in Figure 4.

A suitable internally threaded cap (not shown) is threaded to the exterior threads 24 on the neck to completely seal the container tube construction I0.

visible the material contained within the tube.

The material constituting the body of the tube may be colored to add to its pleasing appearance.

The container tube construction previously described may be formed by casting the metal framework within a one-piece shell of plastic material instead of sandwiching the metal strip between inner and outer shells. If the container tube construction is so formed, the body is initially cylindrically shaped and the ends are formed under die-pressure. Similarly, inner and outer tubes may be shaped into cylindrical form from thin sheets of plastic material and finally shaped by die-pressure into the final form and combination as illustrated and described.

It is apparent from the foregoing description of this invention that an inexpensive container tube has been provided which is reinforced to normally maintain its tubular shape. The reinforcing is, however, sufiiciently yieldable to permit ready rolling of the tube as it is collapsed from the bottom and rolled upwardly to eject its contents through the restricted and more heavily reinforced top end. I

While particular embodiments of this invention have been illustrated, it will, of course, be understood that the invention should not be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made and, therefore, it is contemplated by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention;

I claim as my invention:

1. A collapsible container comprising a cylindrical tube of thin plastic material of uniform thickness along its entire length, said tube hav ing a tapered portion at one end terminating in a threaded neck, a closure at the other end of said tube, and a metal reinforcing strip embedded within the material of said tube, said reinforcing strip having a threaded portion within said neck, a conical portion in the tapered end of said tube, and legs extending downwardly from said conical portion along opposite sides of the body of said tube.

brace said inner tube and reinforcing framework,

said transversely extending end portions being arranged for engagement to close the tubes.

3. A reinforcing strip for a tubular container comprising a frusto-conical hollow shell portion, spaced legs extending from an edge of said shell portion and terminating in free ends and means on said free ends of the legs arranged. for interlocking engagement with each other for connecting said ends together.

4. A one-piece metal reinforcing strip for a tubular container, said strip having a cylindrical neck, a conical shoulder extending from said neck, opposed legs extending in parallel relation from said shoulder, and a clip member at the end of each of said legs, each clip member extending transversely of said strip and being arranged with downwardly extending tabs, the tabs on one clip member being staggered with relation to the tabs on said other clip member for interengagement.

5. A one-piece reinforcing strip for a tubular container, said strip having a cylindrical threaded neck, a conical shoulder extending away from said neck, opposed parallel legs extending from said shoulder, a flat clip member at the end of each of said legs extending transversely from both sides thereof, the plane of each clip memher being in coincidence with the plane of its connected strip, and downwardly extending tabs on each clip member, the tabs on one clip member being staggered with relation to the tabs on the other clip member for interlocking engagement.

6. A collapsible container comprising an inner tube formed of thin plastic material, said tube having a cylindrical body with a tapered portion at one end terminating in a restricted threaded outlet neck, a one-piece reinforcing strip including a cylindrical neck having threads for engagement with the threaded neck on said tube, a conical shoulder extending away from said neck for seating against the tapered portion on said tube, opposed parallel legs extending from said shoulder to engage against the body of said tube,-a fiat clip member at the end of each leg, and downwardly extending tabs on each clip member. the tabs on one clip member being staggered with relation to the tabs on the other clip member and an outer tube of similar shape to said inner tube for enveloping the latter and the seated reinforcing strip, said clip members being arranged for interlocking engagement of their tabs to close the tubes.

'7. A collapsible container comprising a cylindrical tube having a tapered portion at one end terminating in a threaded neck, and a reinforcing strip embedded within said tube, said reinforcing strip having a threaded portion in said neck, a conical portion in the tapered end of said tube, spaced legs extending downwardly from said conical portion within the balance of the length of said tube, and interlocking means at the ends of said legs for closing the end of the tube opposite its threaded neck.

CARL LINDSTROM. 

